Better Butter Biscuits

Of all the kitchen company one could keep, some buttery little British-style biscuits are by no means among the unwelcome. In fact, a little almond cookie never hurts, whether nibbled alone as an anytime snack, dunked in coffee, milk or tea, served atop ice cream, or as a simple companion to fresh fruit. These cookies come together in a snap and wait patiently in the icebox until you’re ready to bake them. Nutty browned butter and sweet, almonds (never bitter) make this one of the nicest little baked goods you’ll make. Judiciously sweet and dainty in size, you really can’t do better than keep this butter batter about. Especially if its almonds you’re after.

So should you bake these British butter biscuits? Yes, I’d say you’d better!

Almond-Butter Biscuits

½ cup softened butter

½ cup tightly packed light brown sugar

½ teaspoon mixed spice (as for spice cake)

1 cup ground almonds

1 scant cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup sliced almonds

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the butter, sugar and spice until fluffy and lightened in color. Add the ground almonds and flour and mix to combine; the dough will be crumbly. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth. Shape the dough into a log about 10 inches long. Wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Cut the dough into thin slices and space them slightly apart on the baking sheets. Sprinkle with the sliced almonds, lightly pressing the nuts into the dough. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until deep golden. Leave the cookies on the baking sheets for a couple of minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool. Store the biscuits in an air-tight container for up to one week. The unbaked dough can be frozen for up to one month. Makes about 48 small cookies.